Faith The Misunderstood Slayer
by Gina1982
Summary: Faith wakes up in season four with someone to help her, and maybe someone to love. WillowFaith
1. Chapter 1

A/N this story has been edited a bit for grammar and hopefully an easier read on 05/05/07. I hope you like it.

Faith- The Misunderstood Slayer by Gina

Rating: R

Pairing: Willow/Faith

Copyright 2007

Disclaimer: I own nothing but enjoy trying to play with the characters a bit.

Feedback: yes please

Distribution: please ask

Summary: Faith wakes up in season four with someone to help her, and maybe someone to love.

A/N some of the conversations in chapter 1 are taken from (This Years Girl) and (Choices) having got the scripts from buffyworld

Chapter One

The machines hum in Faith's hospital room as an unseen figure stands next to the bed holding her hand. The woman had been coming there a couple times a week ever since Buffy helped put Faith in a coma, eight months ago. She would sit and talk to Faith, wondering why she even did this but feeling drawn to the dark slayer. The medical experts had categorically stated that Faith would never wake up but the woman kept going to see her nevertheless. What the woman was looking for was unknown to her but she had to continue with her visitations.

All Faith could do was lay motionless with vivid images swirling through her head. The images of her fighting a vampire, introducing herself to Buffy and the eventful night of the stabbing pounded their way through her mind like a well-oiled machine. One of the most vivid images was being in the Mayor's Office. "Open your present." The Mayor says with a smile.

Faith: opens the gift, "This is a thing of beauty, boss." She looks happy to receive the nice looking knife. At that moment, she felt as though she truly had a family.

"That look on your face is my reward," says the mayor clapping his hands together. This image was the only one her mind could replay that showed some semblance of anyone who cared for the dark slayer. No matter what, she believed that he cared for her and in his own twisted way, he did.

As the woman sits watching Faith, the scenes in her mind continue to play out. Faith hears Giles' voice from what seems far away and long ago. "We have a rogue Slayer on our hands. I can't think of anything more dangerous." As Faith hears Giles speak, she sees the image of her and Buffy fighting on a rooftop. Buffy punches her then plunges a knife into her gut. Faith sees a truck below and takes a plunge onto its bed.

The woman sees Faith's hands begin to twitch, as the scene in Faith's head moves to her in a bed. The scene is during the first hours of her coma because the mayor is standing next to the bed. "It's a wonder she's alive at all with the blood loss. There's virtually no chance that she'll ever regain consciousness." A doctor says, as the mayor grows visibly upset.

The scene in her head quickly changes to blood dripping from Faith onto the bed. She and Buffy look at the knife in Faith's gut. "Are you ever gonna take this thing out?" Faith asks, as Buffy rips it out causing Faith to flinch in pain.

As the scenes plague Faith's mind, the woman looks at the monitors that display Faith's vital signs. She then looks sadly at Faith lying on the bed motionless. She gets nervous and leaves the room, as lightening strikes.

Faith's mind travels back to a picnic with the mayor. "Think it's gonna rain?" she asks.

"Nonsense, it is a beautiful day. Now eat your sandwich." The mayor says cheerfully.

"I dunno; it just always seems like it starts raining about now." Faith is expecting something to happen, as it always seems to in her life when things were looking up. She knew that the Mayor was evil but the sense of family was within him and that is what made Faith feel comfortable. She lacked a sense of what family was for her entire life and, oddly, he was showing her what family meant.

"You're too young and too pretty a girl to start wearing worry lines on your face." The Mayor says and picks a worm off the blanket. "Hey there, little fella; I dunno where you belong, but it's not here with us." He smiles and chuckles putting the worm back in the dirt. "There you go. Y'see, there's nothing gonna spoil our time together. Who wants cheesecake?" He laughs as Faith looks down and smiles, then she suddenly looks up behind the Mayor.

"No!" She screams as Buffy comes up behind the Mayor and runs him through with Faith's knife.

Faith's head then plays out the scene of Faith in the bed, followed by running through a graveyard with Buffy chasing her wielding the knife she used during her tenure with the mayor. Then Faith falls into an open grave with Buffy looking down at her. Buffy fades as Faith claws her way out of the grave looking up into the stormy night.

Suddenly, Faith's eyes snap open. She finds herself listening to the various noises and looking at the monitors. She quickly decides that this is a much better surrounding than fighting with the overwhelming images that played out in her mind for the last eight months. She lifts her hand up and clenches it into a fist. "She wanted to kill me, she wanted to take my slayer right," Faith says angrily and throws the covers aside. She then rips out the monitor wires and exits the room.

As she is walking down the hall, a Woman comes up to her. "Excuse me, you know how to get to third floor west?"

"What?" Faith asks still a bit befuddled.

"I see, do you need some help or something?" The woman questions Faith.

"Graduation," Faith speaks slowly but with urgency in her voice.

"What?" The woman looks confused.

"Graduation, I gotta get to Sunnydale High School graduation," Faith grows more upset as she speaks.

"Well, you can't, I mean, Sunnydale High School isn't even there anymore." The woman states wondering what happened to this young lady.

Faith's eyes grow dark and nervous. "What day is it?"

The woman stares at her, "Friday."

Faith begins to grow angry, "What date? The date!"

The woman looks a bit frightened. "February 25th, maybe I should get you a nurse."

Faith feels the rage within begin to boil. "What happened to the school?"

"Well, it was a tragedy really, lots of students died. The Principal, the Mayor, I really think maybe I should get you some help." The woman shuffles her feet nervously, as she looks at Faith.

Faith's face shows rage at hearing the mayor had died. "Here's you some help," she punches the woman in the face a few times. She then kicks her in the ribs, knocks her out, and undresses her. She then quickly puts the woman's clothes on and rushes out of the hospital.

- - - - - - - -

The Scoobies are at Giles' discussing their next plan on how to handle Adam, as Faith stands outside the window watching them. The phone rings and Buffy gets it. After a brief moment, Buffy looks at the gang. "It's Faith, she's awake." The gang has various looks of surprise on their faces but Willow's face details an utter look of shock. "She beat someone up, took her clothing, and disappeared out of the hospital. Nobody knows where she is."

"I'd say this qualifies for a worst Timing Ever award," Xander says sarcastically. "What do we do? I'd hate to see the pursuit of a homicidal lunatic get in the way of pursuing the hybrid homicidal lunatic." Xander stops babbling and takes notice that Willow seems to have neither comment nor input.

"The initiative has good facilities to lock someone away," Riley offers. "From what you've told me, this one is a winner."

"Evil," Willow finally speaks up. "The initiative is the object of evil, Faith is human and like it or not, she's a slayer." She rises and leaves the room quickly, leaving all occupants of the room's mouths agape.

"So we get Faith and take her to the initiative," Buffy says flatly.

"I am in charge now, I will see to it she's treated as fairly as any other prisoner and keep her away from Adam." Riley says in a rather defiant manly tone.

"My fear is she may decide to join Adam's forces." Giles says agreeing to the plan of the moment.

- - - - - - - - -

Willow stands off to the side of the Summers home, remembering. She is in the Mayor's office looking at the Books of Ascension. "Check out the bookworm," Faith says taunting the redhead.

Willow looks up trying to hide her fear. "Faith!"

"Anyone with brains, anyone who knew what was going to happen to her, would try to claw their way out of this place. But you, you just can't stop Nancy Drew-ing,

can you? Guess now you know too much and that kinda just naturally leads to killing." Faith says moving closer to Willow.

"Faith, wait, I want to talk to you." Willow says in her classic high-pitched voice.

"Oh yeah? Give me the speech again please. Faith, we're still your friends. We can help you. It's not too late." Faith sounds less than amused.

"It's way too late, you know, it didn't have to be this way. But you made your choice. I know you had a tough life. I know that some people think you had a

lot of bad breaks. Well, boo hoo! Poor you. You know, you had a lot more in your life than some people. I mean, you had friends in your life like Buffy. Now you

have no one. You were a Slayer and now you're nothing. You're just a big selfish, worthless waste." Willow is proud of herself for being so brave with her little speech.

The pride quickly fades however, when she sees the cold stare in Faith's eyes. Before Willow can react, Faith punches her in the jaw and Willow falls to the ground. "You hurt me, I hurt you. I'm just a little more efficient. You're begging for some deep pain," Faith hisses in an enraged tone.

"I'm not afraid of you." Willow speaks in a defiant manner, though inwardly cringes.

Faith pulls out the shiny knife. "Let's see what we can do about that." Willow flinches but Faith keeps holding the knife to her neck and staring into her eyes. "You know nothing red, cept how Buffy and her prep band of demon fighters only want you around when you have something to contribute to their cause. You know nothing cept your wolf boyfriend likes you until a pretty girl catches his attention, think I don't know he hasn't screwed you! I could smell the wolf all over you if he had."

Faith moves as close as she can to Willow and looks deep into her eyes. "I never tried to hurt you Red, never, till you tried to hurt me because that's how the game goes. B and them hurt me by trying to turn me over to those freak show watchers because I made a mistake! I becha if B had killed that guy she would have been protected!" Faith's rage is at a boiling point, as she hits Willow again. "Am I wrong tough girl?"

Willow's steel begins to break. She knows that Oz likes her but there was something missing and she had always felt like baggage to the gang unless they needed something. Faith was the chosen slayer now and Willow began to realize where they had all gone wrong. "Faith," she says in a low shaky voice. "I'm sorry, you are right.," Her tone of voice becomes more hurt-filled then anything, as the tears begin to fall.

"So why you gonna cry about it Red? That'll get you real far." Faith moves Willow's hand from her jaw and sees just how much damage she has done. While a part of her feels bad for punching Willow, another part of her screams to let the feeling slide. They hurt her and deserved to be hurt in return. That was how Faith was brought up to think from childhood and she couldn't allow a group of people to change that line of thinking now.

Willow so wanted to keep her brief tough act up. It was the first time she had ever mustered such courage, though be it short lived, but she couldn't. All she could do was cry and chastise herself for showing such vulnerability to the dangerous slayer. "Ever since I can remember," Willow says in a small quivering voice. "Nobody liked me for one reason or other. Then I got with Oz and thought I could play with Xander. That was just one stupid mistake of many."

Willow takes a deep breath before she continues to speak. "Oz never treated me like a teenage girlfriend, more like a kid he had to protect and Xander was just testing his male hormones. Then there is Cordy, Who never thought much of me. I think Buffy felt sorry for me and I hate pity. Then you came to town and I thought you would take what little time Buffy shared with me away, I got to patrol and stuff till you came but you're the only one who never acted like you had to treat me special." Willow stops her babble fest and looks down at the floor. She realizes that she had probably just made the worst mistake of her life confiding in Faith.

"Naw Red, I'll treat you just like I treat everyone else, just don't try to hurt me again," having said that, Faith, in her classic unpredictable mode, leans down and plants a big long sensuous kiss on the redhead. "B likes ya Red, she'll trade the box of spiders that can help destroy the world all for you. You got something' I never had, family." She walks out without another word.

Willow shakes her head out of the memories, knowing that kiss, that night did something to her. She knew it was wrong each time she had gone to the hospital to see Faith but she couldn't help it. "Hey there Red, are you out here spying trying to find the psycho-slayer?" Faith looks at Willow with those deep brown eyes. The eyes that danced off the moonlight captivating everything in their view, according to Willow's thought process.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Willow stands looking at Faith, the woman she was told would never wake up from her coma. The woman who tried to kill her and all her friends, though she catch a bad break mostly at the hands of Wesley. She remembers how she used to love watching her dance and slay. She had a growing fear that Faith wanted revenge in a big way. "Faith?" Willow questions almost in a whisper, not knowing what else to say. She never thought this day would come and was not prepared for this encounter. As she stands looking at the slayer, she wonders if Faith knows that she had been going to the hospital to visit her.

"In the flesh," Faith answers looking in the window of the apartment. "So you gonna haul B out here to tango with the psycho-slayer?" Faith's eyes dart back and forth between the window and Willow dangerously.

"Faith, they, um, they're gonna turn you over to the initiative rather than the cops. Personally I'd much rather deal with the cops cause they are evil and and they have this big cyborg thingie and he's like real bad, Buffy couldn't even stop him." Willow finishes her babble, as Faith moves closer listening intently.

"So that is the other homicidal lunatic they're after." Faith says stoically. "Wanna walk with me red?"

Thoughts run rampant through Willow's head, she knows she shouldn't go with Faith but something about those eyes pulls her to go. She is certain that the gang will be furious with her but decides that she will go with Faith anyway. She wonders if this is a trap or if Faith sees that she isn't going to tell Buffy since she gave her the info on the plans they had for the dark beauty. Lastly, she wonders why she isn't going to tell Buffy when all that is moral inside her screams for her to tell. Everything within her that is, but a tiny feeling deep within that she can't quite place.

As Willow turns to follow the slayer, Riley bolts through the window diving on Faith knocking her to the ground. Faith laughs as Willow runs off. "That all you got boy?"

He pulls a blaster from his coat. "No this is real fire power," he shouts as she jerks his arm backwards snapping it.

She kicks him in the gut with rage in her eyes. "Tell B that's her birthday present from Faith, the woman she used to screw after a good kill because a man couldn't cut the slayer strength." Having said that, she kicks him again and runs as Buffy races from the house.

- - - - - - - - -

Faith stands at the ruins of the high school thinking of the mayor. He was evil but he loved her enough to botch up the ascension and die. She curses herself for the slayer dreams and knew she had told Buffy his weakness. He was the only one who loved her and she let him down. Her face is playing out the emotions of her thoughts, as Willow walks up to her.

"Faith?" Willow asks in an uncertain tone. The look on Faith's face made Willow show hesitancy as to whether or not she should approach her or not.

"Hey red," Faith takes out a cigarette. "You shouldn't be all the way out here alone ya know."

"Why aren't you trying to hurt me Faith?" Willow asks timidly.

"Cause I know what you did red. You came to see me and held my hand. You said you were sorry. I believed ya red, am I right to do that?" Faith looks at her not liking this new vulnerable feeling at all.

"I don't know what's going on with me. Everything you did, I mean, I should be turning you in but, I-I-I just…" Willow looks away from Faith's penetrating eyes.

Faith tosses her cigarette away. "Yeah I get it red. I should be running from you cause being civil to you could get me killed, ya know? If you get soft you get picked off easy but I told you before, I only hurt those who hurt me." Faith looks at the redhead before swiftly moving to her and pulling her close. "I won't let myself hurt ya red," she places her lips on Willow's. "I never finished what I started all those months ago red," she begins massaging her shoulders pulling her as close as she can get her.

Faith lifts the smaller girl up into her arms and begins kissing her down the neck. Hearing a soft moan from the redhead heightens her slayer senses into overdrive. "Faith I've still never…" Willow tries to speak between Faith's animalistic kisses but her quickly overheating body reacts by pushing itself as close to the slayer as she can get. Finally, Willow musters up the courage to pull away receiving a funny look from the slayer. "Faith, I-I-I-I um I've never done this before and I always thought something like that should be well not in the middle of a graveyard. Technically this is a graveyard seeing as so many died here." Willow drops her head in embarrassment.

"Yeah, sorry Red," Faith pushes thoughts back in her mind., Thoughts that maybe Willow is faking all this to get her trapped by Buffy. She decides that she will confront Buffy tomorrow and see how the Wicca reacts.

"Faith," Willow says, trying to get a fix on how the slayer is feeling.

"Don't sweat it red," Faith says, trying to put up the tough front.

"Faith, um," Willow points at the three approaching vampires.

"Fuck," Faith leaps at the vamps swiftly staking one, kicking another to the ground while staking the one that was headed at Willow. She then kicks the one who was trying to get back up and pulls out a stake.

"Faith stop that's Spike!" Willow shouts noticing the vampire isn't fighting back. "There is something wrong with him, he can't fight humans. The initiative is experimenting on demons and now Adam is, well, doing worse things."

"Faith pockets her stake looking at the shocked blonde vampire. She grabs him up by his shirt collar, shaking him then pounds him in the face. "You tell B you seen me with red and I will give you a slow painful death, torture is my game peroxide-man." With that, she releases him.

Just then, a part human part demon comes bounding towards them. "I was about to tell you Adam is coming!" Spike yells.

"Faith run!" Willow shouts.

Adam gives the slayer a haymaker that sends her to the ground. She rolls away from him managing to trip him up before barely missing a blast from an attached weapon. "Faith run damn it!" Spike yells.

The slayer picks up a large rock, tossing it and it connects with Adam's chest. This gives her the time she needs to follow Willow and Spike. "So we have here a humanoid huh," Faith says. "Call me dumb but he's ran by a computer program of some sort so that means, destroy the program and Adam is history."

"He's to strong, we've tried everything." Spike says preparing to slip off in the dark.

"I think he's gonna kill us all." Willow says dejectedly, as Spike disappears.

"Have a little Faith red." Faith kisses her.

- - - - - - -

Buffy and Willow are walking around the UC Sunnydale campus looking for Faith. "Will you are acting strange, I'm a little worried about you." Buffy says, as the two walk towards a coffee shop. "I mean we've got Faith on the loose, Adam is in serious need of killing and you need to snap out of whatever this is. Oz leaving, I'm sorry about that but I lost Angel too and we have to move on."

"I'm sorry Buffy, I just…" Buffy spots Faith coming towards them.

"Word has it B is looking for a psycho-slayer," Faith grins flashing her pretty eyes at the women.

"Look Faith, we can get you some help, there is no need to…" Faith pushes Buffy into a dumpster.

"Maybe you are the one who needs help B," she looks at Riley who is coming towards her with his arm in a sling. "How'd you like my birthday present, it was the least I could do since you gutted me," she raises her shirt showing her tummy to everyone watching.

"Will call the police," Buffy shouts rushing Faith with a sweeping kick that sends the dark slayer to the ground.

Faith counters with a knee to the gut sending Buffy backwards long enough for her to stand and deliver a swift kick under Buffy's chin. "Take that B, from one slayer to another." Faith races off, as Riley is about to give chase.

"Riley no," Buffy says looking at Willow; noticing she's looking after Faith. "Will what's going on?"

Willow realizes that she is about to take some mega heat for this but she can't help it. Buffy has to know the truth and there is no time like the present. "Buffy do you remember the night Faith captured me to get the Mayor's box back? Um, well she kissed me. When she went into a coma, I visited her at the hospital as often as I could. I don't know why Buffy and it may be wrong but I like her. I see a different side of her and I don't think the initiative is the best place for her to be placed."

"She's done something to Willow," Buffy's eyes show more rage than the night Faith shot Angel with the poison.

"Let's move," Riley shouts after Buffy who had sprinted off.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Willow is wandering the streets aimlessly wondering where to look for Faith. She knows she has to find her before Buffy does or the fall out could be fatal. Willow's concentration is on how to help Faith control her tough side and replace it with her more soft side, which she had seen a few times. The mention of Buffy's name, always lit a spark on this tougher side but Willow didn't see the harm in wishing for something that would, in all reality, never happen.

She didn't know why she was so captivated with Faith's looks, persona and eyes but she was. After all, she had tried to kill most of them not so long ago. Something kept drawing her to the slayer though and she knew that she had to help her. She felt as if this were her last chance at true happiness. A happiness she once thought she'd have with Oz. The nagging realization within her that she was attracted to girls along with his love for music forced a mutual separation.

Suddenly, Adam lunges at her from out of the still night. "Nowhere to run," he says speaking in a methodic tone.

Willow looks up at Adam with fear in her eyes, as she realizes that he is going to kill her. Her fears get to hide once more however, as Spike comes racing up on his motorcycle and crashes into the monster. "Hurry up Red," Spike shouts and jerks Willow onto the bike. He speeds off as quickly as he can knowing that Adam will soon be in hot pursuit.

Spike had put a good dent in the big monster with his blast from the motorcycle but it wasn't enough. Adam quickly gets up and fires off a round of explosives from one of his weapons. The two dive off the bike just a fraction of a second before it explodes. "This way," Spike says, diving into an opening that led down into the sewers, a place the Scoobies had come to know so well.

"Spike every second I'm here is a second lost in finding Faith. Buffy and the others have decided that handing her over to the initiative is a better place for her than jail." Willow blurts out, as they race through the sewer.

"That's because the rest of the world is beneath them Red," he says, as he climbs up through the sewer. "I've got Faith out of site and will get you to her."

- - - - - - -

Faith is sitting in a Crypt, which doesn't look too bad. There was even a TV, and some snacks. Vampires still had a taste for the finer pleasantries of human life after all, even if it didn't keep them alive. There was a nice twin sized bed with clean sheets even. "Fucking vampires live better than I do," she mumbles, as Spike dives in with Willow.

"You're safe for now, if you shag change the sheets. I'll see if I can find what the slayer is up to," he grins cockily leaving the women alone.

"Faith," Willow looks at her with panic in her eyes still feeling the trauma of having her life almost ended. "Adam, he almost got me."

"It seems B and the gang are more concerned with me than some freak show who is trying to kill all of Sunnyhell huh." Faith says looking the Redhead over. "We'll all be okay Red." Faith pulls Willow into her arms and kisses her gently. "I need to get my record cleared somehow first then I can help you deal with this thing called Adam."

"Adam probably has the most sophisticated equipment but he can't be trusted; I'd guess inside the initiative would be the next best bet. I'm not sure I could hack into it without being caught. It would take time to get your records clear," Faith kisses her again stopping the babbling.

"Ya know Red, I have trusted very few people, but my gut tells me to trust you. I wish I would've done that a long time ago because part of me doesn't think I deserve to have my record cleaned up. I murdered people. But then the other part of me knows the first one was a mistake. If I wasn't to stupid to let someone help me, the rest wouldn't have happened. I felt in my heart that it would have been different if B had done what I did. Wes and the gang would've bent over backwards to help her out ya know? But they wanted to send me up the river like I didn't matter." Faith's eyes go cold for a minute as she's speaking.

Willow listens intently to Faith's every word knowing she probably hadn't opened up this much in ages, if ever. A warm feeling of comfort began to work its way into Willow's heart. She had a sense of happiness to have someone confide in her like this. As quickly as that nice feeling arrived, a pang of guilt began to surface. She was one of those whom were ready to sell Faith out and knew Faith was right in that Buffy would have been dealt with far differently had she been the one to have staked the mayor's assistant. She put her resolve face on deciding she would help Faith at all cost by clearing her record. "I'm glad you trust me Faith and I am truly sorry about how I acted towards you before," Willow says, as their kissing grows more intense.

"Don't sweat it Red, it's history, this is the present." Faith begins massaging Willow's lower back as she kisses her. "So does this still count as a grave red?"

"Um," Willow blushes slightly. "Well," she looks into Faith's smiling eyes, realizing she'd never seen them look happy before this very moment.

"Naw Red, I've never done anything at the perfect time before and I want to at least give you that much." She moves onto the bed pulling Willow next to her. "Peroxide-man will be here just before dawn to wake us and we've got a lot of things to do so we should get some sleep."

Willow lay in Faith's arms drifting off to sleep, feeling euphoria as if nothing could touch the high she had at this moment. Who would have thought it would be with Faith, certainly not Willow. The feeling that they were the only two in existence with no worries of what tomorrow would bring began to encompass the redhead as both women slept peacefully. She truly was finding out what love was in the arms of the dark slayer with Oz now being the furthest thing from her mind.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Faith awakes with a feeling of being caged in having nowhere to turn. This feeling had crept up on her since childhood and nothing good came from her when it happened. The last time she recalled feeling like this was when she wigged out after the mistaken killing of the mayor's aid. She looks around the crypt trying to find a quick solution of everything but there was none that would come to mind, minus her old way of doing things; hurt them before they hurt her.

Willow comes back in the crypt seeing the look on Faith's face. All was ok last night but now, this look alerts her that if she doesn't think fast it would fall apart. "Faith, I have a plan if you let me help you." Willow speaks in a timid voice, afraid of the reaction of the volatile slayer.

"Yeah? You sure you want to help me? Y'know Red, I've had a lot of people in my life say they want to help me but none did." Faith looks at Willow with a cold stare.

"Faith, you said last night you trusted me, what happened?" Willow asks genuinely concerned. She knows she can't help the slayer if she shuts herself off from her but isn't quite sure of what to say. "Faith please, let me help you. Don't do this," Willow's eyes show fear as she speaks but not for her own safety. She is worried for Faith and what will happen if she allows herself to go off the deep end yet again. "Faith," Willow steps closer until she is close enough to touch the enraged slayer. "Please Faith, Let me in."

Faith looks at Willow and begins to calm down. "I don't know what happened Red. It all just felt like it was closing in. I'm sorry, I…" She looks away beginning to fear herself and wonders if she will ever get over the demons that have haunted her a lifetime and caused her mistrust in others. She can only hope that she can trust someone long enough to let them care for her and get rid of some of her insecurities.

"It's all right Faith," Willow rubs her fingers over the slayer's arm. "I'll help you I promise I will," she lifts her face to Faith's and kisses her. "You don't have to go it alone anymore."

Faith returns the kiss and pulls Willow into her arms. "It's not easy Red but I'm trying to do right."

The look in Faith's deep brown pools shows pain and anguish and Willow wants to take it all away. She wants nothing more than to make Faith be happy again. "Here's the plan Faith but you have to listen and do exactly what I tell you."

- - - - - - - -

Riley and Buffy are relaxing in the Bronze. The task of relaxing isn't going so well for Buffy but she's trying. She can't find her friend and fears for her safety. She is certain Faith has done something to Willow to make her afraid of turning against her. All the while, part of her is thinking maybe Faith has changed but she quickly pushes that in the back of her mind. "Slayer!" Spike races in yelling with blood on him.

"What happened?" Buffy jumps to her feet with a gut feeling that Faith is involved with Spike's current disheveled state.

"That fucking slayer-wanna-be did this to me. She was fighting with Willow and I tried to help. Thanks to this bloke and his band of merry demon hunters, I can't fight back!" A faked anger shoots through his eyes at Riley as Buffy charges from the Bronze with both men on her heels.

She rounds the corner heading to an alley when she sees Faith grabbing Willow up in her arms. She couldn't understand why Spike had to give their arrival away by screaming we're coming but Faith quickly drops Willow to the ground and turns on Buffy. "You wanna get it on now fucking slayer?" She questions Buffy with fire in her eyes.

Buffy looks at her friend who is trembling and crying. "Spike take her home please, this ends now. Riley go with them." Buffy says with a look to kill in her eyes.

"He should stay with you," Spike points to Riley as Faith darts around Buffy knocking him out then pulling her knife.

Spike jumps on her as Buffy whirls around but doesn't see Spike lifting Riley's key card from the unconscious man. "I'll take Red here home, deal with the bitch." Spike yells scooping Willow up and running off into the night.

"I should've killed you when I had the chance," Buffy shouts at Faith as the fight begins.

"Maybe you should have B," Faith retorts fisting Buffy several times. Buffy both tries to block and get in a few good kicks of her own.

- - - - - - -

"Do you think they maybe will refrain from killing each other?" Willow asks timidly as Spike inserts Riley's card, punches a few numbers and the doors to the initiative open.

"All we can do is hope Red." He says pointing her to the main office. "Everything you will need to clear Faith is in there. I'll stand watch."

Willow goes in the main office and quickly is in the legal records. A few keystrokes to change Faith's punishment and she's out of the office. "This was way too easy," she says to Spike as an alarm goes off. "It's Adam!"

"Bloody hell!" Spike shouts, as he begins to set demons free by deactivating the electronic locks. "Let's get the hell out of here!" He says as the two run out with Adam in hot pursuit.

- - - - - - - -

Riley opens his eyes, as Buffy and Faith are pummeling each other. Both slayers are beaten down, as Riley raises his gun to fire at Faith. "Adam," Xander shouts as he and the others run up. "All the demons in your so-called initiative have been set free too."

Riley lowers his gaze away from the women for a split second, as Buffy looks at Xander. This gives Faith the second she needs to kick free of Buffy's grasp and take off down the street. "Coward!" Anya shouts after her.

She runs through the streets until she catches up with Spike and Willow. "You're bloody free mate, now help us out here!" Spike shouts trying to dodge the firepower of Adam's many weapons.

"A little fire might do the trick," Faith says lighting an explosive and tossing it at the hybrid. He jerks backwards slowing down a great deal. "Bingo," She shouts running at Adam. Buffy and Riley enter the view of Spike and Willow.

"Ask questions later!" Spike shouts to Buffy, as he fends off a couple of demons.

Faith jams a sword into Adams circuitry, which only slows him down a bit more. He gives her a good right hook that sends her backwards as Xander, getting part of the picture at least, fires a blaster at him. It hits him in the human part of his face and he roars in pain. Faith then jams her hands in his chest with blood oozing from them due to the entry. She jerks out the hard drive that controls the lumbering hybrid. He lashes out at Faith with his demon hand but Buffy puts a sword through his back and finishes the job.

After the battle is done, the Scoobies just stand there looking at each other in silence. "Somebody better explain fast what is going on!" Riley shouts staring daggers at Faith.

"Faith is no longer a wanted woman and will be taking counseling for her mistaken killing as it should be," Willow begins. "We needed in the initiative and knew you wouldn't help us so did what we had to in order to help Faith. I am very attracted to her and believe she has changed so deal." She turns to Faith who takes her arm and the pair walk off leaving all but Spike standing mouths agape.

- - - - - - - -

Willow and Faith are relaxing on her bed after having showered and ate. "Long night huh Red." Faith says casually rubbing her hand over Willow's tummy.

"It's all over and you're free," Willow says, giving Faith a smile. "Now you're not obligated to stay or anything." Willow's efforts to block the doubts in her mind were proving to be futile. Faith was so beautiful and why would she want to be here with someone like Willow were her thoughts as Faith pulls her into her arms.

"I wanna stay Red," she kisses her. "All my life I've been misunderstood y'know? Nobody tried to see through my walls but you and I'm glad I let you see the real me." Faith kisses her more passionately.

"I only wish I would've tried sooner Faith," Willow says snuggling into Faith's firm embrace. "I would have known we had a lot in common; that we were only looking for acceptance and love."

"Yeah somethin' like that," Faith says smiling. "So Red, this ain't a graveyard." She quirks her eyebrows at Willow who grins.

"I think I'm ready," Willow says softly, as Faith begins kissing her along the neckline suckling the pulse point.

"You're gonna know you're ready very soon Red." Faith says in that low husky voice that Willow is growing more and more to love.

Faith slowly kisses Willow exploring her mouth with her tongue as she begins to undress her. "You're so pretty Red," she states continuing her trail of kisses all the way down Willow's body as her hands caress the hardening nipples.

Soft moans escape Willow's mouth as she closes her eyes to feel the sensations Faith is sending through her body with her tongue as she moves down to Willow's thighs. "Better take notes here Red, cause I like to receive too." Faith says in a low voice as she begins to pleasure Willow in her first sexual experience.

After the night of lovemaking is finished, the pair is lying in each other's arms. They are both truly happy for what is probably the first time. "I wish this could last forever Faith with no demons or evil. I wish Buffy and the gang would learn to know you half as good as I have and hope they will grow to like you soon."

"You're doin' a lot of wishin' there Red." Faith kisses her again. "Maybe one of them will come true."

"My main wish has come true Faith," Willow says returning the kiss. "I found somebody who will like me and not because of my inadequate magic abilities or because I'm Buffy's friend."

"Yeah Red it sure has," Faith pulls her in for a tight embrace. "I liked you when you were a little on the not so cool side but was to much of an idiot to let myself admit it."

The phone rings and Faith gets it. After a few seconds, she hangs up. "Even if we had no demons Red, life is gonna really suck sometimes so we have to grab happiness when we can get it." Faith says choking back tears. "Red, Buffy found Joyce dead when she came home. That was G-man on the phone."

Tears flood from Willow's eyes like a river as Faith holds her. "Buffy, I-I-I need to go to her and I have to make sure Dawnie is all right and I…" Faith wipes the tears from her eyes and holds her trembling body firmly as she places tender kisses on her face.

"You don't have to do a thing Red, I'm right here for ya. I'll be your strength when you're weak and when you have to be strong, I'll hold ya up just a little bit so you don't slip."

Willow cries even more at Faith's heartfelt words, as she returns the kiss. "I think I love you Faith."

"Ditto Red," Faith says kissing the redhead once more before they get some sleep. She knows that Willow will go comfort Buffy in the morning and will need all the rest she can get.

End


End file.
